The Sufi Path is a process of amanesis (remembrance, realization). In pre-eternity, God asked the spirits: Alastu bi Rabikum (Am I not your Lord)? When we come into this material existence, we forget about pre-eternity and the task of life is to remember our way back to the truth concerning the nature of our essential relationship with God. This process of remembering or recollecting is known as amanesis.

Saturday, March 05, 2005

Theology - Not The Answer

In the global village of the modern world we are often required to interact with those who do not share the same spiritual perspective as the one to which we may be committed. This brings us face to face with the question: how should we conduct ourselves in the face of these differences?

Just as there are sectarian differences among various segments of the Muslim community, or differences among Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of Judaism, there also are huge differences among various denominations of Christianity which go beyond the broad split between Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions. While there are many factors which have led to this cascade of bifurcations, one force which has had a very fundamental shaping role involves theological considerations.

However, perhaps the answer to so many of the problems with which we are confronted - including sectarian differences - does not lie in attempting to work out the nuances of theological doctrine such that only "lunk heads" and down-right evil people could fail to grasp the certainties which are uncovered through the niceties of theological methodology. Unfortunately, more often than not, theology tends to lead to separation and alienation from one another instead of bringing any kind of existential resolution to tensions and differences.

People are so caught up in arguing, in terms of theological doctrine, about what "the" meaning of revelation is, or about what THE nature of God is (e.g., unitarian, trinitarian, multitarian, or is God a She, He, It, or none of these, or all of them and more), or about what the proper name(s) of God is (are), or about whether the reality behind everything is even deistic (and, here, there is an allusion to such perspectives as a Buddhist approach to things in which the idea of a Deity is de-emphasized), or about how to go about gaining brownie points by pointing the finger of judgment at others so that one can think oneself superior to, and more self-righteous than, the rest of humanity, and, as a result, have a favored place in paradise or heaven or the next life, that none of us can see the forest through the trees anymore.

Many of us believe there is some Absolute Reality. Our understandings and interpretations may differ, but we can feel in our hearts, soul and spirit that there is something more to things than the apparent world reveals.

Not until Jesus (peace be upon him) comes again for a second time [and some Chrisitians may be surprised to discover that Islam also teaches about the second coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) and that he will do battle with the Anti-Christ - or, the dajal (imposter) as Muslims refer to the anti-Christ - and, by the grace of God, Jesus (peace be upon him) will be victorious], not until the second coming will some of these issues be settled, in some empirical fashion, and, maybe, not even then, since there will be many who will deny Jesus (peace be upon him) (even some so-called Christians) when he comes the second time, just as there were those who denied him during his first ministry.

And, in many respects, the truth of things may not be disclosed and realized until after we have passed on to whatever awaits us beyond the narrow confines of this process we call earthly life. As such, most of us are working in the dark and trying to call it light.

I would prefer to leave the theology to God since Divinity alone is the only One Who knows the truth of these matters. The rest of us argue out of ignorance, fear, hostility, foolishness, jealousy, and rivalry, yet, we often are so convinced in the correctness of our own interpretation of things that we feel this sense of self-serving conviction entitles us to harbor all manner of contempt for, and condescension toward, others, which in turn is interpreted as a Divine signal to inflict whatever cruelty upon others that we deem to be appropriate.

If we look to the example of the lives of Jesus, Muhammad, Moses, David, the Buddha, Krishna, and so on (peace be upon them all), the answer is staring us all in the face, and we would see it if we weren't so intent on gratifying our egoes in an attempt to prove that we are theologically right and everyone else is wrong. These remarkable, blessed individuals were all, without exception: loving, kind, compassionate, thoughtful, considerate, reflectful, forgiving, tolerant, understanding, charitable, sensitive, respectful, encouraging, helpful, supportive, wise, practical human beings.

They were not theologians. We are the theologians, and we have taken things which they have said - or, which we think they have said - put our own interpretations on these sayings, and, in the process, have become prepared to abuse and/or distrust and/or hate and/or kill every man, woman and child who does not agree with us.

Let us listen to what the aforementioned spiritual personalities did, not just to what was said, not because what they said was unimportant, but because actions often speak so much more clearly and eloquently than words. One does not have to have a theology of kindness to observe or recognize many, if not most, acts of kindness. One does not have to have a theology of love to observe love in action.

If we love these people, if we love Jesus, if we love Muhammad, if we love Moses, if we love Krishna, if we love the Buddha, (peace be upon them all), then, why not become preoccupied with following their actions? Let God worry about the theology.

If we love for the sake of God or Allah or Jehovah or Yahweh, the Way, or The Void Which is Full, or Whomever or Whatever, then, if we are, for example, kind for the sake of Truth, if we are tolerant and forgiving for the sake of Divinity, if we are charitable for the sake of the Tao - if we do all of these things because of love for the Essence and not out of hope of heaven or fear of hell - then, I believe we will be much, much further ahead of the "game" so to speak.

Every human being has existence due to the love and compassion of the Great Mystery, God, or the Void of Infinite Fulness (these are all linguistic terms to refer or allude to that which cannot be circumscribed or exhaused by words). If we minister to people - irrespective of how wrong we may feel their theological perspective may be and irrespective of how wrong (from our subjective point of view) that perspective may, in fact, be - if we minister just with love, charity, kindness, forgiveness, and so on, and not with theology, and not in order to win converts or gain influence or the like, but because people are more likely to turn to the light and truth which Divinity has planted within them when cared for in a respectful way, then, I believe we are going to have a much better chance, God willing, to improve the wretched condition of the world.

We are so busy arguing over the theological shape of the table, like they argued over the shape of the table during the Paris "peace" (?) talks on Vietnam, that we never get to the really important issues - namely, how are we going to treat one another? We each may have our own why or intention or motivation or goal, but the actions themselves all can be precisely the same.

When one receives kindness, it makes no difference whether it comes through Buddhist theology, Christian theology, Taoist theology, Muslim theology, Hindu theology, Native theology, or Jewish theology. Kindness is kindness, and all kindness is a gift from the Great Mystery - we are merely the loci of manifestation through whom it comes.

Let us all purify ourselves of the jealousy, hatred, prejudice, selfishness, bias, greediness, hostility, envy, desire, insensitivity and so on which stand in the way of our being beacons of love, charity, forgiveness, tolerance, and compassion, which, ultimately, come from Divinity, or the Absolute, or the Void (which is Fulness), or the Great Mystery, and not from ourselves. It is only our pride and ignorance which makes us think otherwise.

These actions are the common language of all the great spiritual traditions, irrespective of whatever theological differences may have arisen over time. All the mystical dimensions of these great traditions point in precisely the same direction.

The idea of love is worth little. A system of thought with love at its center is worth little.

Only actions of love have value, and love has no theology since it is done out of only love for Divinity or the Absolute, as well as being a reflection of the love which the Void or the great Mystery has for us, in giving us the capacity to love, and be kind, and be charitable, and be forgiving in the first place.

Love, sincerity, compassion, tolerance, kindness, and so on are not rule-governed. They are principles.

Principles are non-linear. One can see that all acts of love or compassion have a certain self-similarity to them, but one cannot possibly reduce the expression of such qualities down to some linear recipe, like baking a cake, which must be done, more or less, the same way each time.

In a sense, like snow-flakes, no two expressions of such principles as love, generosity, compassion, kindness, and so on, are alike. There is a creative freedom to the many degrees of freedom which are inherent in a principle which are not just present in the narrowness and, often rigidity of rules.

This is not to say that there are no good rules. Rather, it is to give emphasis to, and direct attention toward the idea that the values which many of hold most dear are principles, rather than rules.

There is no set of rules which is capable of generating such things as, character or integrity. Character and integrity are rooted in a reality which lies along the horizons of rules which hint at truths which are deeper than rules and which must be understood through the essence of one's being.

Like poetry, principles resonate with something deep within us which is somewhat ineffable or not given easily to linguistic expresion. Poetry, like a principle, hints at facets of reality through the resonance of meanings which lie along the horizons of what is being said.

If one tries to reduce, say, freedom, to a set of rules, oftentimes, freedom slips from view amidst the endless set of rules which are being used to define freedom, and as a result, one, literally and metaphorically, cannot see the forest (freedom) through the trees (rules). The exercise of freedom requires the flexibility, subtlety, and richness of principles which are understood with the heart and soul and not just the mind.

If we can't induce others, through gentle and wise ways, to believe in, or accept, our theologies (which tend to be rule-governed), then, let us share the principle of love and compassion with these people. I don't know about you, but I would rather have the actuality of love and compassion any day, rather than a theology of love and compassion, no matter how eloquently it was expressed.

Let us be love and kindness and sensitivity. Let us not just talk about these things.

The foregoing may seem rather simplistic in 'principle', but it is extremely difficult to accomplish in practice. Moreover, whether it is simple or difficult, I believe that, the Great Mystery willing, it is the only way out of the theological conumdrums into which we have painted ourselves ... conumdrums which are having devastating, destructive, impoverishing effects upon our lives, both individually and collectively.